killdeer babies and spring days

David holding killdeer chicks

This afternoon David came in from the field and told us to come out and see something that he found. So we all ran out there to see these little fuzzy killdeer chicks. They are so cute. I held one of them. That was the first time I had ever held one of these tiny baby birds. Killdeer chicks are different than other baby birds. Most birds hatch without any fuzz and stay in the nest. Killdeer hatch with fuzz like a baby chicken and are ready to run around right after they hatch. It is so fun to watch them run after their parents. This has been the most wonderfullest of springs! I have been enjoying everyday of it. The past few days are starting to feel like summer.

very warm in the day and thunder storms at night.

On sunday we planted our field of corn.

This whole field is now planted in all corn. It is the corn that we use for baking and cook with. And feed for the chickens and pigs.

It was so much fun to all be out there planting seeds.

David made a place to plant the corn

Then Enoch and Nathanael put four seeds in place.

Daddy, Hannah and I covered them up.

Now there is about one thousand mounds out there that have four corn seeds in them waiting in the ground, getting ready to grow into corn plants. I think seeds are so amazing. Just think of everything that is in one seed. It is just amazing! Our God is amazing! I am so glad He made all these things for us to enjoy.

We worked out there all day. It was a little cloudy in the morning. By afternoon the sun was really shining. Now I have red arms and neck.

The new fencing came, so now the all animals are out on the grass.

Autumn is getting used to getting milked off the stand.

Shwanli and...

Hopli

are used to being milked out in the pasture.

It has been really nice having fresh goat's milk again.

birth announcement, my morning thoughts, and spring pictures...

Three more kids joined the herd. On sunday Hopli had triplets and they are so adorable! Two does, one white and one grayish brown with dark brown markings, and a big white buck. The buck weighed seven lb. and eight oz. The brown doe weighed five lb. and four oz., and the white doe weighed six lb. two oz. All together Shneahopli was carrying nineteen lb. and four oz. I think that would be alot to hold! They are doing very well. They already want to run and play outside. It is a little cool out this morning so I am going to wait till it warms up a little and I will bring them out in the sunshine today. I took Hopli out to get some grass this morning. It was so pretty out there. The morning sun shining on the dewy grass as she ate. I sat on a stump and sang while out there watching her. One of my favorite songs to sing in the morning is Morning Has Broken. When I sing and give thanks and praise to God, everything that seems so big and overwhelming in this life melts away and I know it no more. I think this has been the most pleasant of springs ever. It is so beautiful and nice outside. David has been getting the fields ready for planting. Lambs and kids are running all around the barnyard. Robins hoping about the garden. Busy birds finding nesting materials. Freshly wash wool drying in the sun and wind. Clothes on the line. Wild flowers in the meadow and woods. Leeks and morels sprouting up in the woods and orchard. Geese trying to set on eggs. Ducks trying finding good nesting spots. Daffy-down-dillies a blooming in the ditch along the road. Crisp frost in the morning covering the freshly plowed earth. Beautiful little pink blossoms on the peach tree. Bright green catkins on the birch trees. Golden dandelions popping up there cheery faces everywhere. Barefeet running everywhere. Buds on the lilac bush. Compost piles steaming in the morning sunlight. New leaves on the rose bush. Bright new leaves on the maples. Forsythia bushes in full bloom. Wild cherry trees clothed in white blossoms like star clusters. Bunches of new onion plants to plant in the garden. Chickens scratching everywhere. Wooded hills covered with new growth. Rivers and streams flowing down where they are directed. Lower and lower still,ever singing, giving water and life to every thing they touch. This is my Father's world! A place that He has made for His pleasure. May every thing that we say, do and think be pleasing to Him. He has made us for His good pleasure.

(I wrote the above at 8:24 AM this morning)

Here are some pictures from today:

my nephew's flowers

planting peas

pounding in a stake

smiling sisters

Fun!

Big Smile!

This morning me and Hannah visited with Rebecca. Daddy,David and the boys had to go to a farm and pick up some bees for David. Hannah and I were going to go to the library but it was closed so we had Daddy drop us of at our sister's. We helped her plant peas and onions in her garden. It was very fun. Then Daddy came and picked up some bales of hay that my sister's husband said we could get. We visited for a little longer then we left. Went to the library and checked out some books. Last night I finished the book "The Meeting Place" by Janette Oke ,and I had to get the sequel. If you are a book worm like me then you know just how it is. When you finnish a good book and it says at the end that there is a sequel to it and that sequel is 9 miles away on a library shelf you just have to get it in the fastest possible time that you can. Then when we got there I saw that there are even more sequels to that sequel so I got three more books all in the same series. On the way home we stopped and got more hay from a neighbor. We are still feeding our animals hay as the grass is still growing.

When we came home I got the clay oven started and mixed up a batch of natural leaven dough. I had taken a little brake from baking bread on the clay oven. The reason why? Well go to this link HERE and you will see something that I made. I was so mad I could not even blog about it at the time. At least someone was able to laugh at what happened! The oven was too hot and I was getting tired as it was getting late in the evening. I put the bread in too soon and that is the result, burnt dough!. In that picture you can see Daddy in the kitchen. He is scraping off the burnt part of the other charred lump of dough.

I hope this time it turns out very well.

I am going to do chicken for dinner. So I must go and get stuff ready for that.... enjoy the spring!

Pictures from yesterday and today

Today I made a cheese mat for the cheese I made yesterday

I made it out of broom corn stalks(left over in the garden) and grain sack string.

This is the first time I have ever made one. I have always wanted to,

but now that I needed one, here I have made one!. It is so neat that when I woke up this morning I did not even have a cheese mat. Right when I needed one I did not even call to order one or go to town to buy it. That is amazing to me! This is what is going to have start happening when every thing falls apart in this nation, people are going to have to start using their minds how people used to. When they want something they will have to make it even if they don't know how. Our hands have been given to us with a purpose in mind from the one who created us. Let us not keep this purpose buried but let it grow and flourish and spread, whether in the small things or big things. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.Eccleiastes 9:10

Here is some very delicious soup that me and my sister made yesterday

Making ravioli for the soup, this was the first time I ever made ravioli

Can you see the ricotta? It's on a plate in the back ground. I made it from the whey after cheese making. I am using it here as the filling for the ravioli.

I made two kinds of cheese Bel Paese^ this is an Italian cheese whose name means "beautiful country" it is soft, fast-ripening, sweet and mild. This is first the time I have made this cheese.

Graviera^ This cheese is also a first for me. It is a larger cows milk cheese originating in Greece. This recipe is similar to Swiss Gruyere. The addition of some goat's milk gives this cheese a spicy flavor. It is in a salt brine right now.

Fire Roasted Hot Salsa!

To every thing there is a season....

It was a very windy rainy day. I picked alot of tomatoes and made them into ketchup

my younger brothers helped. Tomorrow we are going to make roasted salsa and regular HOT salsa. I am going to make jam out of the yellow "garden peach"tomatoes. I made some last year from little sweet orange tomatoes and it turn out real well.

picking peppers

washing tomatoes

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Faithfulness

Today was a rainy cloudy day. It is still raining as I am typing. I made chevre' and some small cheeses for the winter. My brother planted wheat. All the gardens are looking almost done.

I need to make another batch of salsa. There are alot of tomatoes coming on.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed,

because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.

Lamentations 3:22-25